Liquid atomizer device



April 1954 J. B. MONTENIER 2,676,060

LIQUID ATOMIZER DEVICE Filed Feb. 18, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

April 20, 1954 J. B. MONTENIER LIQUID ATOMIZER DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 18. 1950 INVENTOR. gMOWflZZF Patented Apr. 20, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

My invention relates to an atomizer for liquids, particularly liquid cosmetics such as perfumes, lotions, and astringent or .anti-perspirant solutions, but may be utilized for a wide variety of other liquids such as medicines, rust inhibitors, insecticides, and the like.

Such atomizers as have heretofore been known in the art, generally speaking, have comprised a suitable chamber or receptacle of a flexible or deformable material such as rubber, synthetic plastic, or thin sheet metal for housing the liquid to be atomized in combination with means for causing a spray. In at least most cases, the atomizing means has protruded from the container proper, a fact which has made it dinicult or cumbersome to ship or store the container and atomizing means as a unit.

In accordance with my invention, new and useful improvements in atomizer and closure plugs have been devised which are adapted for disposal or insertion within the neck of a flexible container for use of the resulting assembly as a self-contained atomizer. While, speaking genorally and broadly, atomizer and closure plugs for this general purpose have heretofore been suggested, prior to my developments they have not come into any appreciable use because they were costly to construct and did not function satisfactorily. Thus, for example, the character of the spray was difiicult to control and was too coarse, particularly in the case of relatively heavy liquids. Moreover, after the contents of the container for the liquid was partially depleted, the spray produced from the remaining liquid was exceedingly poor or the remaining contents could not be atomized.

The invention will be best understood in the light of the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein illustrative and preferred embodiments of my invention are shown and wherein- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a spray bottle representing one embodiment which my inven tion may take;

Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section, in enlarged form, taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3a is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 3 but showing a variant embodiment;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an atomizer and closure plug representing another embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section, in enlarged form, taken along the line 5-5 of Fig.4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an atomizer and closure plug representing still another embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section, in enlarged form, taken along the line tl of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 isa vertical section taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 10 is a. horizontal section taken along the line lll!0 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a fourth and particularly preferred. form of my invention wherein, among other aspects thereof, the spray issues at an angle to the vertical axis of the atomizer and closure plug;

Fig. 12 is a vertical section, in enlarged form, taken along the line 52-42 of Fig. 16;

Fig. 13 is a vertical section, also enlarged, taken along the line l3l3 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 is a vertical section taken along the line l l l of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a horizontal'section taken along the line 15-45 of Fig. 13; and

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the atomizer and closure plug.

Considering, first, the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the device comprises a self-sustaining and form-retaining bottle or container ill, which made of flexible synthetic plastic, particularly of transparent or translucent character, such as polyetl'iylene. The exact shape of the container it is not critical and it may assume the form or shape or" conventional bottles from which liquid cosmetics and the like are commonly dispensed. The neck of the container Ill may be provided with external threads H, Frictionally held within the neck of the container is a plug it having a top flange it which rests on the upper surface of the neck. The plug i3 ispreierably made of a rigid transparent to translucent synthetic plastic, such as polystyrene or polymerized methyl methacrylate. The plug 13- has a downwardly extending cylindrical wall It and, spaced therefrom, a centrally apertured depending cylindrical member ll. The central aperture in said member i? comprises a socket it which communicates with a central opening it in the top part of the plug it through which the spray is ejected when the device is in use. The member l i is provided with at least one vertical slit and, preferably, oppositely disposed ver-- tical slits or radially slotted openings 2! and 22 which may, if desired, extend through from the outer periphery of the member H to establish communication with the central aperture it in said member l1. Instead of such construction, the openings 21 and 22 may be formed as grooves or channels in the member i! with the outer wall of said member il being unbroken, as shown in Fig. 3a, the corresponding parts being numbered with the corresponding numerals with the added subscript a. A similar but transverse groove or channel may extend along the top part of member I? so as to establish communication with vertical slots or grooves 2i and 22 and a shoulder may be provided in the upper part of member i! against which a liquid-carrying tube 23 may rest. Said tube 23 is held in position frictionally in the aperture or socket in member ii. The tube 23 is preferably made of a transparent or translucent flexible synthetic plastic, for example, oi the vinyl, methacrylate, polystyrene, or polyethylene type. The tube 23 may be inserted into the socket it at varying distances or in fixed position against a shoulder, and it will be seen that the volume of air passing through the slotted openings 2! and 22 for admixture with the liquid issuing through tube 23 may be fixed or readily be controlled as desired. A mixing chamber 2% is provided in which the air and liquid meet and commingle immediately prior to being ejected from the spray opening.

It will be seen, with respect to the said embodiment of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, that when the container i is compressed by squeezing in the hand, the liquid is forced upwardly through the tube 23 and, simultaneously, air within the container is forced through the slotted openings 2! and 22. The liquid issuing from the tube 23 commingles with the air, coming from opposite sides, in the chamber 24 to form an intimate mixture and the air-liquid mixture is ejected through the opening is in the form of a spray the character of which may be regulated and predetermined as described below.

The character of the spray as, for example, the fineness thereof and the distance to which it will be projected from the container may be controlled or regulated by a selection of particular dimensions of the air and liquid passages and spray opening and by the angular relationship at which the air and liquid streams meet prior to ejection of the mixture thereof through the spray opening. shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, for example, excellent results are obtained in spraying light liquids containing alcohol, such as colognes, or heavier liquids, such as underarm deodorants, comprising aqueous solutions containing as high as 20% of dissolved sa-lts such as aluminum chloride, where the spray opening 19 has a diameter between about 0.004 and about 0.03 inch, the tube 23 has an inner diameter between about 0.03 and about 0.06 inch, and the air passageway has an appreciably larger cross sectional area than the spray opening is, for example, from one and one-half to three time the diameter of opening l9.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 4, and 6, the plug 36 has an annular top flange 3i and a depending skirt member 32 having a cylindrical wall, said plug being adapted to be inserted in the neck of a flexible container and frictionally held therein, as in the case of plug lit, with the flange 3! resting on the top edge of the container and the skirt member 32 lying against the inner surface of the neck of the container. Integrally formed with the top of plug 30 is a depending socket member 34 in the form of a cylindrical In the aforesaid embodiment wall member having opposite vertical slits 3'6 and 31 extending therethrough. These vertical slits 38 and 3'! form, when the liquid-carrying tube 38 is inserted into the socket member 34 and is irictionally held therein, vertical air passageways, and the latter communicate with opposed transverse narrow a-ir passageways 39 and M formed by the lower surface of the top of the plug 38. A spray opening i2 is formed in the top of the plug.

It will be seen, therefore, that, when the liquidcarrying tube 38 is inserted fully into socket member 3 said tube will bear against the lower surface of the top of the plug 30 which acts as a stop to limit movement of said tube. When the flexible container is squeezed or compressed in the hand, air in the container above the liquid level will be compressed and move upwardly through slits or channels 36 and 31 and then horizontally from opposite sides through transverse narrow passageways 39 and ti. Said opposed air streams meet the liquid passing upwardly through tube 38 at substantially right angles thereto and intimately commingle therewith whereby to break up the liquid into a fine spray whereupon, immediately after such commingling, said spray is ejected or discharged through spray opening 42. The arrangement is such that the air is forced through transverse passageways 39 and M at an accelerated speed which assists materially in breaking up the stream or liquid issuing from the top of the tube 33 into the form of a very fine mist or spray.

Figs. 1, 8, 9 and 10 show an embodiment generally similar to that of Figs. 4, 5 and 6. Here, the plug has a depending socket member is which has oppositely disposed grooves or channels il, 48 which do not extend through the wall of the socket member. When the liquidcarrying tube 39 is inserted into the socket member as, restricted vertical air passageways are formed by said grooves or channels #31, t8 and a portion of the outer surface of said tube ii-3. The remainder of the structure of Figs. '7, 8, 9 and 10 is similar to that of Figs. 4, 5 and 6, there being opposed narrow transverse passageways 5| and 5'2 and a. spray opening 53; and the top of the tube 49 rests against the undersurface of the top of the plug when pushed thereinto as far as it will go, as shown more particularly in Fig. 9.

Figs. 11 to 16, inclusive, show a particularly preferred embodiment of my invention wherein the atomizer and closure plug 50 comprises a body member having an annular top flange 5i and a depending cylindrical skirt member The top of the plug is formed in the shape, generally, of a partial dome 63 and extending downwardly and preferably oiiset from the center of the plug is asocket member t l having a generally cylindrical socket opening therein in which a liquid-carrying tube at is adapted to be irictionally held. The wall of said socket is formed with oppositely arranged vertical grooves or channels 61, 6B which, when the tube 65 is inserted into the socket, form vertical air pas sageways. Said vertical air passageways coin municate with oppositely arranged relatively narrow transverse passageways til, i! formed when the tube 06 is pushed into the socket open ing as far as it will go where it abuts against a shoulder 12 formed in said plug, as more particularly illustrated in Fig. 14. I find it advantageous, in this typeof construction, to provide a special mixing chamber and, to this end,

disposed above said transverse passageways and in communication therewith and with the outlet from said tube 66 and in alinement with the latter is a mixing chamber 13. A spray opening it extends at an angle, for example, an angle of 20 to 60 degrees to the vertical. The mode of operation of this embodiment will be clear in the light of the foregoing description. In brief, when the flexible liquid container is compressed or squeezed, liquid passes upwardly through the tube til, and air passes upwardly through vertical air passageways G1, 68 and thence through restricted or narrow transverse passageways 59 and "H. Said liquid stream and the air streams which move at an accelerated speed commingle adjacent and in the mixing chamber 13 and the resulting very fine spray or mist is then immediately ejected from said spray opening.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 11, a closure cap A, which may have a suitable insert or gasket, is provided to insure against leakage.

It will be noted, as shown particularly in Figs. 6, 9 and 14, that the shoulder or shoulders against which the liquid-carrying tube abuts, when insorted fully into the socket member, somewhat overlie the opening in said tube. This results in restricting the liquid stream issuing from said tube and serves to enhance the formation of a spray of excellent fineness.

While, in the several illustrative embodiments of my invention, I have shown the use of two vertical air passageways oppositely or diametral- 1y arranged with respect to each other, which represents a particular preferred construction, it should be understood that, generally speaking, reasonably good results may be obtained by the use of only a single vertical air passageway in embodiments of the character shown in 1-16, inclusive, or by omitting the groove 5? in the embodiments of Figs. 11-15, inclusive, or more than two vertical air passageways may be utilized. Moreover, while it is advantageous to form such vertical air passageways by means of grooves or channels in the walls of the socket member, it will be appreciated that spaced vertim cal ribs may be formed on the inner surface of the socket member so that the liquid-carrying tube will be frictionally held between the sev eral spaced ribs having channels between said ribs and the outer surface of the liquid-carrying tube which function as vertical air passageways. The cross section area of the socket may be regarded as being non-circular so that when a cylindrical tube is inserted therein, at least one vertical air passageway is formed. Again, the soclzet may be formed so as to be circular in cross section and the liquid-carrying tube may have one or more vertical grooves in the wall thereof, or one or more vertically arranged flattened sections may be provided on the wall of the tube so that, when the tube is inserted in the socket, it will thereby result in the establishment of one or more vertical air passageways. Other modifications will readily occur to those versed in the art in the light of my teachings herein.

Especially advantageous are those constructions wherein restricted or narrow opposed transverse air passageways are provided through which the air moves after it passage upwardly through the vertical air passageways. The angularity of said transverse passageways to the vertical may be varied and such variations will affect the distance to which the spray may be thrown or ejected. Excellent results are obtained where the transverse air passageways are at right angles to the vertical or to the axis of the liquid-carrying tube and good results are also obtained where the transverse air passageways are at an acute angle, for example, 50 to degrees, to the axis of the liquid-carrying tube. Generally speaking, the more acute the angle, the greater will be the length of the spray.

The atomizer and closure plugs of my invention are most advantageously made by molding procedures and from synthetic plastic materials as pointed out above. They are advantageously formed in one piece so that the assembly with a flexible container and removable liquid-carrying tube is exceedingly simple. Thus, the flexible container is filled with the desired liquid to the proper level, the liquid-carrying tube is inserted in the socket in the plug, and the plug is then pushed into the neck of the container where it is frictionally held. The closure cap is then applied.

In the light of the foregoing description, it will be seen that my invention, as shown by the illustrative embodiments described above, is sharply distinguishable, for example, from the usual bulb atomizers which work on the suction principle and usually have a large valve to replenish the air supply, and represents a much impler, less costly, and better functioning device than the self-contained spray devices heretofore suggested by the art. It is particularly desirable that the air passageways have a materially greater cross-sectional area than the diameter of the spray opening to the atmosphere as such construction allows rapid replenishment of the air within the container, thus making the device immediately operative for repeated spraying operations, the walls of the container being dcpressed for only a very short period of time between squeezings.

Where the containers and plugs are made of a transparent synthetic plastic, to facilitate the users location of the aperture through which the liquid spray issues from the container, I find it convenient to have the area immediately surrounding said aperture suitably colored, for example, red, blue, green or the like.

While the invention has been described in detail, the scope thereof is not to be limited except as required by the state of the art and the limitations set out in the claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior application Serial No. 782,243, filed October 27, 1947, now Patent No. 2,642,313.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An atomizer comprising a flexible container adapted to hold a liquid and having an opening therein, a single piece elastic atomizing head unit inserted in said opening, said head unit having a central circular depending portion thereon, tube inserted in a centralbore in said depen ing portion of said head unit and extending into liquid contained in said container, diametrically opposed grooves in said depending portion of said head unit contiguous with said tube in said central bore, a cylindrical chamber in said head unit above said tube, said tube opening into said cylindrical chamber, a mixing chamber in said head unit above said cylindrical chamber and emerging therefrom, said grooves in said unit extending from the lower extremity thereof to said cylindrical chamber opening thereinto and through said chamber opening into said mixing chamber, and said head 'unit having a spray out- 7 let therein connected to said mixing chamber whereby upon squeezing said container liquid will flow through said tube and be mixed with air flowing through said grooves and the atomized mixture will be forced from said spray outlet as a fine spray.

2. A atomizer comprising a flexible container adapted to hold a liquid and having an opening therein, a single piece elastic atomizing head unit inserted in said opening, a spray outlet in said head unit, a mixing chamber in said head unit communicating with said spray outlet, a cylindrical chamber in said head having a diameter at least as great as said mixing chamber and communicating therewith, a central depending portion in said head unit having a central longitudinal bore therein, said bore opening into said cylindrical chamber, diametrically opposed grooves in said head unit adjacent said bore and opening into said cylindrical chamber at one end thereof and extending along said bore into said container, a tube in said bore communicating with said cylindrical chamber and extending into liquid in said container whereby liquid and air may be forced from said container to said mixing chamber and the atomized mixture forced from said spray outlet.

3. An atomizer comprising a flexible container adapted to hold a liquid and having an opening therein, a single piece elastic atomizing head unit inserted in said opening, a spray outlet in said head unit, a mixing chamber in said head unit communicating with said spray outlet, a central depending portion in said head unit having a central longitudinal bore therein, said bore opening into said mixing chamber, diametrically opposed grooves in said head unit adjacent said bore and opening into said mixing chamber at one end thereof and extending along said bore into said container, a tube in said bore communicating with said mixing chamber and extend ing into liquid in said container whereby liquid and air may be forced from said container to said mixing chamber and the atomized mixture forced from said spray outlet.

i. An atomizer and closure plug shaped for in-' tube secured in the socket and depending there from for extending into the liquid in the container, the wall of the tube cooperating with the socket and its vertical passages to provide a plurality of vertically extending opposed air pas sages communicating with the interior of the con-- tainer above the liquidtherein and the upper end of the tube cooperating with the socket and its vertically extending passages to provide a plurality of substantially horizontally extending opposed air passages communicating with the vertical air passages and with the upper end of the tube, said plug body having a spray opening in its upper surface communicating with the plurality of opposed substantially horizontal air pas sages and the upper end of the tube, the ar-' rangemen't being such that squeezing of the flexible and resilient container compresses the air above the liquid therein to force liquid upwardly through the tube and out fromits upper end, to

transmit air with force through the substantially horizontal air passages against the liquid discharging from the tube for at least partially atomizing the same, and to discharge with force 7 the atomized liquid through the spray opening,

and the arrangement being such that releasing of the flexible and resilient container decreases the pressure therein to draw air into the container through the spray opening and air passages for replenishing the air previously expelled therefrom.

5. A self-contained container and atomizer for liquids, comprising a flexible and resilient container for containing liquid therein and having an opening in the top thereof, a molded plastic single piece plug body inserted in the opening in the container for closing the same, said plug body having a downwardly facing socket and a plurality of opposed vertical passages communicating with the socket throughout its length, a tube secured in the socket and depending therefrom for extending into the liquid in the container, the wall of the tube cooperating with the socket and its vertical passages to provide a plurality of vertically extending opposed air passages communicating with the interior of the container above the liquid therein and the upper end of the tube cooperating with the socket and its vertically extending passages to provide a plurality of substantially horizontally extending opposed air passages communicating with the ver tical air passages and with the upper end of the tube, said plug body having a spray opening in its upper surface communicating with the plurality of opposed substantially horizontal air passages and the upper end of the tube, the arrangement being such that squeezing of the flexible and resilient container compresses the air above the liquid therein to force liquid upwardly through the tube and out from its upper end, to transmit air with force through the substantially horizontal air passages against the liquid discharging from the tube for at least partially atomizing the same, and to discharge with force the atomized liquid through the spray opening, and the arrangement being such that releasing of the flexible and resilient container decreases the pressure therein to draw air into the container through the spray opening and air passages for replenishing the air previously expelled therefrom.

6. An atomizer and closure plug shaped for insertion within the neck of a flexible and resilient container having a liquid therein for use of the resulting assembly as a self-contained container and atomizer for the liquid, comprising a molded single piece plug body for insertion within the neck of the container to close the same, said plug body having a downwardly facing socket and a plurality of opposed vertical passages communicating with the socket throughout its length and a plurality of opposed substantially horizontal passages in the upper end of the socket communicating at their outer ends with the vertical passages and with their inner ends in free communication, the upper end of the socket adjacent the substantially horizontal passages forming shoulders, a tube secured in the socket adjacent the shoulders and depending therefrom for extending into the liquid in the container; the wall of the tube coopcrating with the socket and its vertical passages to provide a plurality of vertically extending opposed air passages communicating with the interior of the container above the liquid therein and the upper end of the tube cooperating with the socket and the substantially horizontally extending passages to provide a plurality of substantially horizontally extending opposed air passages communicating with the vertical air passages and with the upper end of the tube, said plug body having a spray opening in its upper surface communicating with the plurality of opposed substantially horizontal air passages and the upper end of the tube, the arrangement being such that squeezing of the flexible and resilient container compresses the air above the liquid therein to force liquid upwardly through the tube and out from its upper end, to transmit air with force through the substantially horizontal air passages against the liquid discharging from the tube for at least partially atomizing the same, and to discharge with force the atomized liquid through the spray opening, and the arrangement being such that releasing of the flexible and resilient container decreases the pressure therein to draw air into the container through the spray opening and air passages for replenishing the air previously expelled therefrom.

7. An atomizer and closure plug shaped for insertion within the neck of a flexible and resilient container having a liquid therein for us of the resulting assembly as a self-contained container and atomizer for the liquid, comprising a molded single piece plug body for insertion within the neck of the container to close the same, said plug body having a downwardly facing socket and a plurality of opposed vertical passages communicating with the socket throughout its length, a tube secured in the socket and depending therefrom for extending into the liquid in the container, the wall of the tube cooperating with the socket and its vertical passages to provide a plurality of vertically extending opposed air passages communicating with the interior of the container above the liquid therein and the upper end of the tube cooperating with the socket and its vertically extending passages to provide a plurality of substantially horizontally extending opposed air passages communicating with the vertical air passages and with the upper end of the tube, said plug body having a spray opening in its upper surface in vertical alignment with the socket and tube and communicating with the plurality of opposed substantially horizontal air passages and the upper end of the tube, the arrangement being such that squeezing of the flexible and resilient container compresses the air above the liquid therein to force liquid upwardly through the tube and out from its upper end, to transmit air with force through the substantially horizontal air passages against the liquid discharging from the tube for at least partially atomizing the same, and to discharge with force the atomized liquid through the spray opening, and the arrangement being such that releasing of the flexible and resilient container decreases the pressur therein to draw air into the container through the spray opening and air passages for replenishing the air previously expelled therefrom.

Cab

8. An atomizer and closure plug shaped for insertion Within the neck of a flexible and resilient container having a liquid therein for use of the resulting assembly as a self-contained container and atomizer for the liquid, comprising a molded singl piece plug body for insertion within the neck of the container to close the same, said plug body having a downwardly facing socket and a plurality of opposed vertical passages communicating with the socket throughout its length, a tube secured in the socket and depending therefrom for extending into the liquid in the container, the wall of the tube cooperating with the socket and its vertical passages to provide a plurality of vertically extending opposed air passages communicating with the interior of the container above the liquid therein and the upper end of the tube cooperating with the socket and its vertically extending passages to provide a plurality of substantially horizontally extending opposed air passages communicating with the vertical air passages and with the upper end of the tube, said plug body having a closed mixing chamber in vertical alignment with the socket and tube and communicating with the plurality of opposed substantially horizontal air passages and the upper end of the tube and havin a laterally extending spray opening in its upper surface opening into one of the substantially horizontal air passages and communicating with the mixing chamber and the upper end of the tube, the arrangement being such that squeezing of the flexible and resilient container compresses the air above the liquid therein to force liquid upwardly through the tube and out from its upper end, to transmit air with force through the substantially horizontal air passages against the liquid discharging from the tube for at least partially atomizing the same, and to discharge with force the atomized liquid through the spray opening, and the arrangement being such that releasing of the flexible and resilient container decreases the pressure therein to draw air into the container through the spray opening and air passages for replenishing the air previously xpelled therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

